What If I Got Sand...?

[tamara]

I have these bugs that litterly infest my tank every 3 months
so i was wondering if i could get rid of them by using sand
since they only come back when i use gravel
i have already once COMPLETLY changed my tank
and got new gravel..they still came back so i'm taking the gravel out for sure
and either just using the odd big rock or just going to use sand adn the odd big rock
i have a bristlenose pleco.
albino cory catfish [i know you need more than one but they ran out in the stores here]
7 guppies [4females 3males]
approx. 11 guppy fry...now i've only counted up to 8ish though ahah
so yah..

 

[tamara]

okay well i took out the gravel did a 70% water change
and the water looks spiffy
i'm going to boil the ornament objects tomorrow
hoping to get some advice on sand...

 

[afishdude]

what kind of bugs are they?
are they on top the water or in the water?
they might be multiplying on the lid to your tank (lighting fixtures, filters, ect..)

 

[tamara]

i've actually told this site like a complete discreption and everything..
no one could figure it out, but i suppose a second time won't hurt
they're about 2 mm large round brown/orange bugs last time they had blackish spots on them, i didn't look that close this time
this is the seconde time they came...they kind of glide in the water stay mostly where they can't be seen, the sides of the tank, under the rocks..
i'd say about a 100,000 of them were in my tank this time because i caught it before they really came. last time [3 months ago] there was i'd say millions..?
when i took the gravel out the all kind of ..huddle in a circle?
and they multiply like no tomorrow..!

 

[InaneCathode]

Stop feeding them. They have to be eating something, and your fish /should/ be eating all of their food. You're probably over feeding, and thats whats causeing the bub blooms. Most complex insects can't live on fecal matter alone, especially not fish feces.

 

[xoedusk]

Stop feeding them. They have to be eating something, and your fish /should/ be eating all of their food. You're probably over feeding, and thats whats causeing the bub blooms. Most complex insects can't live on fecal matter alone, especially not fish feces.

I agree. Even if you can't identify them, you should be able to starve them to death. How often and how much do you feed your fish?

 

[Yetti]

Yeah sand will help you with these bugs, the food will not get stuck in the gravel for them to eat from now on.

 

[14gtr14]

Yeah sand will help you with these bugs, the food will not get stuck in the gravel for them to eat from now on.

ye, but that still means you need to cut down on the food because it'll be in easy access for them if it's sitting on the sand. Vac the sand/gravel well and often. ...and cut down on the food.

 

[jkrekord]

is it possible that there fish fry? i know it sounds weird but it could be have you got any livebearers?

 

[Miss Wiggle]

yeah definately cut back on feeding, if need be feed 1 flake/pellet at a time to make sure every single bit of food gets eaten by the fish. then they have nothing to eat and will very soon die off.

 

[Kazuya73]

they're about 2 mm large round brown/orange bugs last time they had blackish spots on them, i didn't look that close this time
this is the seconde time they came...they kind of glide in the water stay mostly where they can't be seen, the sides of the tank, under the rocks..

I think I have those very same bugs Funny thing is I have no fish yet and so I'm not feeding them anything;Although I do have a lot of dead plant material(just planted);maybe they could be eating that?I've only seen a few of them though;dont seem to be a problem but then I got everything from hydra and cyclop's to damselflies and these weird swimming round things.

 

[tamara]

well i have 7 guppies...
and they just had fry [i know for 100% that the bugs are fry...]
so i've been feeding them a lil more than usual...
the fry usually eat it off the ground mroe or less...
i took out everything in the tank besides heater, filter, and medium [1-2inchlarge] rocks
there's about 20ish rocks in there so it's not completly empty/....and i see about..20ish bugs in there....?
and i made sure that i got all of them except maybe one or two
and the 20ish rocks are new so they couldn't ahve come from those...
so they must multiply like crazy...
so i guess i'll stop feeding the fish for 24 hours..to see if that works..
anything else there is i should know?

 

[InaneCathode]

well i have 7 guppies...
and they just had fry [i know for 100% that the bugs are fry...]
so i've been feeding them a lil more than usual...
the fry usually eat it off the ground mroe or less...
i took out everything in the tank besides heater, filter, and medium [1-2inchlarge] rocks
there's about 20ish rocks in there so it's not completly empty/....and i see about..20ish bugs in there....?
and i made sure that i got all of them except maybe one or two
and the 20ish rocks are new so they couldn't ahve come from those...
so they must multiply like crazy...
so i guess i'll stop feeding the fish for 24 hours..to see if that works..
anything else there is i should know?

Soooo, im not sure if you think they're fry or not...
Fry don't multiply until they get mature anyway...

 

[xoedusk]

so i guess i'll stop feeding the fish for 24 hours..to see if that works..
anything else there is i should know?

A good feeding routine is to feed once per day. Yes, wait 24 hours to feed them. Keep up this schedule - once feeding per day. You can even skip one day per week, as many here do.